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breadwitchery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Vomit, Death, Alcohol, and Drug use
jojo_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Car accident and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Grief, Death, and Drug use
jacquibear's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Car accident and Alcohol
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Holiday Romance
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: October 6, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Wintry • Cozy • Unrealistic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Maelyn is down on her luck - she's living with her parents, hates her job and has just made a mistake of epic proportions on what will be the last Christmas spend in her favourite place in the world. As she drives away from the cabin for the final time, she pleads with the universe. Next things she knows, she awakes on a plane bound for Utah, beginning the same holiday all over again.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I usually like to read a holiday romance or two during the festive season, and had seen so much love for In a Holidaze that I decided to give it a shot. Let's just say I didn't enjoy it all that much.
The writing felt disorganized and rushed. The time-loop portion of the plot felt confusing and off. The characters lacked depth to the point where I ended up liking some of the secondary characters (particularly Benny) more than Mae and Andrew. What I did enjoy was the cabin setting and all the family traditions.
This was another Christina Lauren book that fell flat for me, but I can definitely see why so many people have loved it if they're simply looking for a quick, fun holiday read.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Hallmark rom-coms
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Maybe we should do things because we love them, not because we've always done them that way.'"
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Car accident and Alcohol
brittishliterature's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The first chapter felt a bit hard to follow, but once I got settled into the story, I was fully invested. Mae was not my favorite main character, but there was a bit of character development and growth as the book continued. I felt that the character development of those around her was a tad lacking for me. I would have liked to get to know Andrew, Theo, and the rest of the gang better. It was hard to keep them all straight and made the romance feel a bit shallow since I knew very little about most of them. Benny, however, I LOVED Benny! I pictured him as resembling Woody Harrelson haha.
The one main issue I had with the story is that I actually thought
Overall, I enjoyed this book and am glad I finally read it! Great holiday read filled with heartwarming romance, a very lovable group of chosen family, and sweet feelings of nostalgia. I guess sometimes it doesn't hurt to judge a book by its cover ;)
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Alcohol
tearexanne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
My main gripe with this book is the romance. Andrew is the main love interest but in the first few chapters were introduce to a character called Theo where he and Maelyn share a drunken kiss. Throughout the entire novel I was waiting for this plot point to come ahead and it felt like a bomb waiting to burst but it was shoved to end for an ending conflict. The moments between Maelyn and Andrew felt forced. She and Andrew are childhood friends which should have been a plus but we are not given details about their interactions in the past unlike with Theo. With Theo, passing conversations and in Maelyn's mind, we are given context clues behind their relationship in the past. We are given more moments with Theo then with Andrew. Maelyn and Theo seem more like friends then with Andrew. I even teared up because of Maelyn and Theo's friendship. In the past Maelyn and Theo spend a lot of time together but in the novel they barely spend any time together and I could understand Theo's loneliness but it was never used as an actual plot point.
Okay since we got that out of the way, other problems I had with the book is too many family members to keep track of and they weren't important. The time loop is only used at the beginning and becomes a problem in the ending. The only reason why I am giving it 2 stars because the atmosphere was the best part. The Christmas Vibes are off the charts.
In a Holidaze was not for me, the first half I was taking my time and then the second half I was speeding through because I wasn't enjoying it anymore.
Minor: Alcohol and Injury/Injury detail
celines_schemes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Car accident
Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Cursing
caitlinjadams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Alcohol and Cancer
morganperks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Sexual content and Death
Minor: Suicide attempt and Alcohol
stargirlmolly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol